Strength training vs. load: The surprising solution to the injury epidemic in football
Players are collapsing under the load of matches, and clubs are trying to protect them with "load management" and functional training. But new research reveals that the real solution is the exact opposite.
Less than two weeks after the final whistle of the World Cup, Lionel Messi had already returned to play for Inter Miami. In fact, even before the 2025/26 season officially ended, the 2026/27 season had already begun. On the face of it, the conventional solution to this exhaustion problem is scientific load management — but more and more professionals, sports scientists, and teams are choosing a completely different solution: more strength training.
In many clubs, fitness and strength training are seen as secondary. Importance — for understandable reasons — is given to work with the ball. Small-sided games and tactics are considered the most important matters, and recovery takes precedence over any work in the gym.
Furthermore, in quite a few places, classic strength training has been replaced by "functional" training: resistance bands, coordination ladders, balance exercises, core work, and "activation" training. These workouts are perceived as safer and more specific to the game, and let's be honest, they also look better on Instagram. However, the element of Overload — creating a positive load on the muscles — is almost non-existent in them.
According to research on the subject, the weight and muscle mass of the average player have decreased over the years, and today top teams are looking for footballers with a lighter body, those capable of covering many more kilometers. The thing is, it is not certain that these athletes are durable enough to survive a whole season. This happens, apparently, also because many clubs are literally afraid that their players will lift heavy weights.
In light of the abundance of muscle injuries in modern football, there is a completely understandable fear of too many sprints in training or too high intensity in the gym. There is also a justified concern about fatigue, and therefore a significant part of the work of sports scientists is focused on "protecting the player" or managing loads, while strength and conditioning coaches become redundant or are simply converted into fitness coaches on the pitch.
However, a deep look at studies dealing with injury reduction reveals that many clubs are simply wrong. A meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) compared different methods for preventing injuries: stretching, proprioception (the sense of the body's position in space), combined programs, and strength training.
A study by the University of Copenhagen revealed fascinating data: frequent stretching exercises reduced injuries by 4%, combined programs by 38%, and proprioception training reduced the number of injuries by 45%. And who is in first place?
Precisely strength training with high weights, which reduced injuries by no less than 69% (!).
In short, it is possible that more load in training — with an emphasis on real strength work in the gym — is the right way to deal with player burnout. This might sound like a punishment for footballers, who already barely get a recovery vacation, and it even sounds a bit absurd. But it is certainly not as absurd as the inhuman load placed on them just because of the greed of the game's managers.
